During Sunday’s win over the Bills, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said something to quarterback Tom Brady (hopefully, “Nice throw, pretty boy”), and Brady didn’t like it. In fact, Brady blew a gasket, shouting “f--k you” to McDaniels and other assorted insults and/or profanities. (It’s believed that McDaniels reminded Brady that the receiver to whom Brady failed to accurately deliver the football was wide open, which is sort of like saying, “Nice throw, pretty boy.”)
In his weekly meeting with the media, McDaniels was asked about the heated exchange.
“It’s a very competitive game and emotional game and things like that can happen,” McDaniels said. “Being in the game a long time, and understanding that Tommy’s a very emotional person and emotional player; it’s part of what makes him great. You understand that those things happen, and it’s never personal. You move on quickly from it, and we did and we have. I love Tom and all those things he stands for and all the things he does for our team. That’s just a situation where you understand it and move on quickly from it and you focus on your job.”
But is it the job of a player to blow up on his coach? McDaniels was asked whether a “thin line” exists between emotion and petulance.
“I’m not even thinking about lines or what have you,” McDaniels said. “I just know we’re all trying to win the game and sometimes things like that happen and you move on from them. You try to win the game and be a professional. That’s all I know and that’s what we did and that’s what we’ve done and we’re focused on getting ready for the Dolphins now.”
The truth is that Brady has the political capital accumulated to get away with shouting at one of his supervisors. Other players don’t, and for them the spat wouldn’t have been brushed off so nonchalantly.